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Vampire Roleplay
Playing a Blue Blood Most vampires in this chronicle practice Noblesse Oblige: they consider themselves to have precedent and justification to rule humans and lesser vampires and give fidelity to more powerful vampires in turn. This is a trait they share, interestingly enough, with the Sidhe and the Silver Fangs. Traditionally they believe that their power, position and gifts demand that they accrue yet more power and influence in order to invest themselves in a greater cause. The Kindred Factions called The Knights of Mithras, the Midnight Court and The Trust are three such causes in the Caerleon chronicle. Another principle that the Ventrue, Sidhe and Silver Fangs can aspire to is dignitas- ''the idea that one's self worth can be measured by one's social status and the opinion of one's peers. Bluebloods take slander insults to their name and reputation very seriously- and this can lead to feuds and shadow wars that last human lifetimes. Particularly proud ancilla and elders (such as Prichard) have petitioned Prince Indrus for permission to destroy young vampires who foolishly insulted them in a grevious fashion. If the young vampire shows the Prince the same disrespect, permission might easily be granted. The Ethic of Succor states that no Ventrue can refuse a clanmate aid (no matter how inconvenient) when succor is requested without suffering a loss of ''dignitas: in a nation where all vampires are clanmates, this can have far reaching consequences. There is specific formal phrasing that goes into asking for succor, casual requests for information or hospitality can be refused without anyone losing face. Succor can only be honorably asked for when there's good cause, a genuine crisis. If a vampire finds themselves caught between two other Kindred both requesting succor from them, traditionally the eldest vampire gets the assistance with the succor-giver helping the younger vampire afterwards with whatever resources they have left. Blue bloods strive to be polite as a means to achieve goals and because clan tradition demans it. Unless they have a close personal relationship, Ventrue address each other in a formal manner, avoid asking personal questions without invitation and avoid "over sharing". Self-discipline and the ability to control the Beast, to avoid frenzy or even raising one's voice or showing outrage or extreme emotion is also a quality that this type of vampire aspires too. Not all the Ventrue in the Caerleon Chronicle are "Blue Bloods". Prince Indrus is and so is his childe Prichard, currently the Sheriff. The Prince was an actual Welsh prince in the 700s. He spent over a hundred years as a ghoul being carefully groomed by Rhodri ap Geraint before he was Embraced in 860 and has had over 1100 years to develop into who he has become. Myfawny has quite obviously gone insane and gave up any interest in dignitas centuries ago but her sire tolerates and perhaps in some ways even encourages her. Likewise, Jevon Conway was a headstrong young man that did not fall easily into vampiric culture and yet he's commonly acknowledged as the Prince's "favorite" despite the fact that they constantly quarrel. The Other Sides of the Fence Many younger Ventrue struggle with the daunting task of living up to the ideals and expectations of their rather pendantic sires and the legacy being thrust upon them. Human culture is no longer in harmony with the feudalistic mindset of the Welsh elders. Childer are traditionally chosen from those accustomed to wielding influence and and authority. There are far more men than women in the clan. Of the five princes, only Melyn-goch is female and even that is a subject of controversy. More than a few vampires in Wales believe that "Duchess Amber" is actually "Duke Amber". A number of older Welsh Ventrue are caught up in anachronistic prejudices and stopped siring childer at all, citing the growing number of young fledglings and neonates who rebel against their sires and try to run off to Cardiff to join the other misfits there. The Followers of The Scarlet Woman Lady Myfawny and the Midnight Court present themselves on the surface of Kindred society in the domain with a veneer of splendour and majesty. They pay public lip service to the Traditions and keep their wanton, visceral, macabre displays behind carefully locked doors. Smoke and mirrors, misdirection, subtle mauevering and playing deadly games with other even more nightmare-loving creatures are their lifeblood. The Midnight Court has is like a diabolical Carnivale to the vampires who participate in it. Roleplaying a member of the Midnight Court requires the same kind of maturity as playing a Black Spiral Dancer. Its not for everyone. These vampires view humans as toys to be tortured and abused. Like the Blue Bloods, they believe that the circumstances of their birth and Embrace are proof that they deserve power and prestige. They just go about acquiring it differently. In the case of the Midnight Court, reputation is earned through "feeding the Beast" without losing control of it- by making public displays of one's monstrocity with the passion and sensuality of a poet. Suffering and victimization is turned into an artform and the aquisition of dark, dangerous allies like BSD, ratkin, Unseelie, sorcerers and the like brings great status. Some vampires toying with the Midnight Court break: they either get themselves killed or become so psychotic and beastial they have to be put down. The Midnight Court is dangerous; several Elders including Prichard and Jevon vigorously condemn it to the Prince. Myfawny, however, presents herself at Court as reasonable, well-groomed, well-spoken and reminds everyone who condemns her that thanks to the Midnight Court, the Kindred of Newport have a wide net of safety against lupines, the Sabbat, and other threats. Many of the known members of the Midnight Court are also Kindred in good standing with the Prince and he remains satisfied that it brings him more good than harm. Tyger,Tyger If Myfawny's Midnight Court is carefully hidden forbidden fruit, then The Trust is a lesson in good deed not going unpunished. Jevon Conway is regarded by some Kindred as completely insane. He puts himself and his followers at risk of lupine attack by intentionally involving them in the affairs of the nature-loving wolf-blooded humans. Many of his employees, contacts and (its rumored) some of his ghouls and childer are wolf-bloods who's lupine relatives are sure to eventually take notice and track them down. Loving something that considers you an abomination and unfit to live is a worse madeness to most vampires than the dark pleasures the Midnight Court take with their victims. Others look at Jevon as a kind of hero, a man of intense conviction who is selflessly driven to leave the world a better place than how he found it. They see in him the kind of heroism of Hector in the Trojan War, Joan of Arc, Mahatma Gandhi. The vampires of The Trust do not view themselves as damned. They see themselves as creatures of Luna, her chosen warriors to help put humanity back in check. Some enact vigilante justice upon humans and others who violate "innocents" like women and children. Others stalk down fomori, black spirals, Red Circle cultists, anything they see as an instrument of taint and corruption. Many have a high enough humanity rating or applicable merit not to be immediately recognized as a vampire via "Sense Wyrm". However, the discipline of Protean is not found in the chronicle. There are no "lupine impersonators" running around.